"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe

"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman

17 Apr 2011

Victims of terror

About a week ago, I received an email about a teenager who was found to have a malignant brain tumor. Those who wished to participate in saying sefer Tehillim were asked to send an email if they would like to say one perek on the boy's behalf. I signed on and was asked to recite Perek 27. Since then, I have said the Psalm every morning and asked G-d for a refuah sheleimah for the young boy named Yosef Simcha ben Zakah Basya. I also added the name Refoel David Aryeh ben Tamar to my list. And, this afternoon, I shed tears when I found out that I will no longer be able to pray for the recovery of Daniel Viflic. May his parents and family be comforted and may they know no more sorrow. A reader left a comment on a JPost article about the tragedy. If deliberately firing an anti-tank missile at a schoolbus and killing a schoolboy isn't a war crime, nothing is. Where are the Voices for Peace? Where is Judge Goldstone? Where is BanKi Moon? Where is the Human Rights Commission?.... Read full article and comments: http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=217003The following is an excerpt from a letter to the Fogel children by Rabbi Shmully Hecht. There is hope in this unspeakable tragedy of Jews being killed once again for being Jewish. I was taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, that we must outweigh every evil act with goodness. Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10165Let's see how the media reported the arrests of the Palestinian teenagers accused of killing the Fogel family members. This is from IsraelNationalNews. Murderer Was Allowed into Itamar for Olive Harvest The IDF lifted a gag order on the investigation of the murder of five members of the Fogel family on Sunday, and revealed the identities of two young Palestinian Authority Arab men who have confessed to the vicious crime. The announcement caused particular excitement and distress for Itamar security workers, who recognized one of the killers as having been in the town shortly before the killings – with IDF permission. Hakim Awad, 18, was permitted to enter Itamar along with other PA Arabs in order to harvest olives. The IDF Civil Administration allowed PA Arabs from the nearby village of Awarta to harvest olives within Itamar that they claimed belonged to their village, despite concerns voiced by Itamar residents, who expressed fear that some PA Arabs could use the opportunity to learn the layout of the town in order to plan an attack. More Israel news: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143616Here's the BBC take.Fogel murders: Israel arrests two Palestinian teenagers...There are almost 500,000 settlers living on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Settlements are regarded as illegal under international law although Israel disputes this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13109092